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På veggen ved svømmehallen henger en stor reklameplakat med et enkelt budskap.

På veggen ved svømmehallen henger en stor reklameplakat med et enkelt budskap.
On the wall by the swimming hall there is a big advertisement poster with a simple message.
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Questions & Answers about På veggen ved svømmehallen henger en stor reklameplakat med et enkelt budskap.

What do på and ved mean in På veggen ved svømmehallen, and why are both used?
  • på literally means on and is used for being on a surface: på veggen = on the wall.
  • ved means by / near / next to: ved svømmehallen = by the swimming hall / by the swimming pool building.

So På veggen ved svømmehallen is literally On the wall by the swimming hall, giving both the surface (the wall) and where that wall is located (by the swimming hall).

Why is it veggen and not vegg?

Vegg means wall (indefinite: a wall).
Veggen means the wall (definite: the wall).

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added as a suffix:

  • en vegg = a wall
  • veggen = the wall
  • vegger = walls
  • veggene = the walls

English needs the wall here, so Norwegian uses the definite form veggen.

What exactly is svømmehallen, and why is it in the definite form?

  • svømmehall is a compound noun:

    • svømme = to swim / swimming
    • hall = hall or large room / building → svømmehall ≈ swimming hall, usually meaning the swimming pool building.

  • svømmehallen adds the definite ending -en:

    • en svømmehall = a swimming hall
    • svømmehallen = the swimming hall

We say by the swimming hall in English, so Norwegian uses the definite form svømmehallen after ved: ved svømmehallen = by the swimming hall.

Why does the verb henger come before en stor reklameplakat? Isn’t the subject supposed to come right after the verb?

Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule (verb in second position):

  1. First element: here, an adverbial phrase På veggen ved svømmehallen.
  2. Second element: the finite verb → henger.
  3. Then subject and other elements → en stor reklameplakat med et enkelt budskap.

So the order is:

  • På veggen ved svømmehallen (1st slot: place phrase)
  • henger (2nd slot: verb)
  • en stor reklameplakat (subject)
  • med et enkelt budskap (extra info)

Even though the subject is en stor reklameplakat, it must come after the verb because something else (the place phrase) was put first.

Could I also say En stor reklameplakat henger på veggen ved svømmehallen? Is that more neutral?

Yes, that is perfectly correct and sounds more neutral:

  • En stor reklameplakat henger på veggen ved svømmehallen.

Difference in nuance:

  • En stor reklameplakat henger ...
    Focus starts on the poster: A big poster is hanging on the wall…

  • På veggen ved svømmehallen henger en stor reklameplakat ...
    Focus starts on the location: On the wall by the swimming hall, there hangs a big poster…

Both are grammatically fine; it is mainly a matter of what you want to highlight first.

What does reklameplakat mean, and how is it built?

Reklameplakat is a compound noun:

  • reklame = advertising / advertisement
  • plakat = poster

Together: reklameplakat ≈ advertisement poster / advertising poster.

Its grammatical gender follows plakat (which is masculine):

  • en plakat → en reklameplakat
  • plakaten → reklameplakaten
    So: en stor reklameplakat = a big advertising poster.
Why is it en stor reklameplakat and not the definite form den store reklameplakaten?
  • en stor reklameplakat = a big advertising poster (indefinite)
  • den store reklameplakaten = the big advertising poster (definite)

In the original sentence, the poster is being introduced as new information, so the indefinite form is natural. If both the speaker and listener already knew about this specific poster, you would typically use the definite form:

  • På veggen ved svømmehallen henger den store reklameplakaten med det enkle budskapet.
    = The big advertising poster with the simple message is hanging on the wall by the swimming hall.
Why is the adjective stor used here and not stort or store?

Adjectives in Norwegian must agree with the gender and number of the noun in the indefinite form:

  • Masculine: en stor plakat
  • Feminine: ei stor bok (or en stor bok in Bokmål)
  • Neuter: et stort hus

Plural (any gender): store

  • store plakater, store bøker, store hus

Since reklameplakat is masculine (like plakat), we get:

  • en stor reklameplakat (not stort and not store).
Why is it et enkelt budskap and not en enkel budskap?

Because budskap is a neuter noun:

  • et budskap = a message
  • budskapet = the message

For neuter nouns, the adjective in indefinite singular ends in -t:

  • et enkelt budskap = a simple message
  • et stort hus = a big house
  • et nytt forslag = a new proposal

So the adjective must be neuter too: enkelt (not enkel).

What is the nuance of enkelt here? Does it mean simple, single, or something else?

Enkel / enkelt / enkle can mean:

  1. simple / easy to understand

    • et enkelt budskap = a simple, clear message

  2. single / one (less relevant here, but possible in other contexts)

    • en enkel billett = a single ticket (one-way)

In et enkelt budskap, it clearly means simple / straightforward, not single. The idea is that the poster has one clear, uncomplicated message.

Why is the preposition med used in med et enkelt budskap?

Med literally means with, and is often used to express having / containing / accompanied by:

  • en kopp med kaffe = a cup with coffee → a cup of coffee
  • en mann med hatt = a man with a hat → a man wearing a hat
  • en bok med bilder = a book with pictures

So en stor reklameplakat med et enkelt budskap means:

  • a big advertising poster with a simple message
    i.e. a big advertising poster that has a simple message.
Why use budskap here instead of words like melding or beskjed?

All three relate to messages, but they differ in usage:

  • budskap

    • More formal or abstract.
    • Often used for core messages, themes, slogans, moral messages, etc.
    • Fits well with advertising, politics, religion, campaigns:
      • politiske budskap, religiøse budskap, reklame med tydelig budskap.

  • melding

    • A message / notice / notification in a general sense.
    • E.g. text messages, system messages, short notes.

  • beskjed

    • A message / instruction / info you give someone, often spoken or informal:
    • Gi meg beskjed = Let me know.

For an advertising poster communicating a clear, central message, budskap is the most natural word.

What exactly does henger express here? Could we use er instead?

Henger is the present tense of å henge = to hang.

In this sentence, henger describes the state/position of the poster: it is hanging on the wall.

  • En stor reklameplakat henger på veggen ...
    = A big advertising poster hangs / is hanging on the wall …

You would not normally replace it with er here:

  • ✗ En stor reklameplakat er på veggen sounds unnatural.

To describe something on a wall, Norwegian typically uses å henge (for things that hang) or å stå / å ligge depending on how it is placed, not å være alone.